I have a 1979 240D, when I bought the car the PO told me the blower motor did not work and kept blowing the fuse. I thought I would just replace the brushes and that would fix the problem. However after removing the blower motor I found it very hard to turn the fan by hand and think something is bent or really gummed up.
So I have been looking on ebay for a replacement. There are always 4-5 blower motors that are out of w123 and they claim to fit my year and model. But when comparing the pictures of ones for sale online and the one I pulled from my car there are slight differences. It looks like the electrical connections are the same but bodies are slightly different (extra plastic ribbing). It even looks like bolt holes will work.

Should I wait until I find one that looks exactly the same or are the blower motors for w123's interchangable?

There are several different models of blowers for the w123's. The earliest have a metal fan, then I believe the first plastic squirrel cage had a solid center dome, the last model having cutouts in the dome.

Also, the actual motors are different. Earlier models had a completely inclosed metal housing, later having the end open (to facilitate the replacement of brushes done these days). I had several bad attempts at finding replacements for mine. Finally got pissed enough to just buy a brand new Behr fan. Couldn't be happier knowing this one has a much better chance of lasting than a used one.

Irregardless, always make sure you match P/N's and get actual pictures of any unit before you buy it... One unscrupulous seller remains on this board and I vow to never buy from him again...

When we got the 80 240D a year and 1/2 ago, the blower did not work. would not turn by hand when removed. I installed one from another 123, don`t remember what year I got the replacement from. but From what I have seen in the junk yard, they all look the same, or at least all seem to fit in the same hole of the heater box.

they have 3 socket head bolts and one phillips screw and the plug, then it just drops out.

BRICKTRON, you do not have to remove the dash to R&R the blower assembly.

when ever I see what looks like a good one, I check it out with my DeWalt 14 volt drill battery to see if they spin up. If they do, it`s mine.

has anyone succeeded at rebuilding the motor, or is the prospect of leaving the dashboard off for the interim too much? i don't know which one is in my car yet.

dash does not need to come off, just the kick panel on passenger's side...

I have two 78 vehicles. not sure condition of the blowers, but I could investigate this weekend...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

It seems that these parts may be drying up. The W123 is a true classic. When I got to know the intricate workings of MB back in the early 90's they had a commitment to their heritage; I remember working on 1950's era fin bodies and being able to get most anything I wanted from the dealer or most any aftermarket euro parts house like GAP, ATL, etc. At the dealer they had a pic of some obscure old part in a differential in an old SL. They claimed that 'The old timers would live forever'.

At the time Honda was the #2 car in reliability and Mercedes was #1. Oddly enough, Mercedes went from first in reliability to LAST in reliability. I will NEVER sell my '91 300e or my '94 E320 wagon. Now, Mercedes is shutting down even the aftermarket suppliers for their parts. Prime example: Try to buy some 10mm power steering return hose anywhere. Try to buy some 117 spark plug wire looms; They replaced the looms with a P/N for the M110 which don't even fit. For some reason, when the factory quits making things available, the aftermarket suppliers seem to follow. You would think that Behr, Lemforder, Brose-Coburg, Peirburg, etc would be smart enough to keep producing parts if the market still exists. The fact that deficiencies exist and people are griping about the shortages would indicate that there is still a viable market. Look at the cost of a fuel distributor for my '91 300E; Last time I checked it was $1800 IIRC.

It's almost like Mercedes is trying to kill off the classic cars.

I can see restoring a W124; Honestly, can anyone see restoring a W140? Look at the S600's. Where did they all go? When they started to fail, the degenerate wannabe MB owners bought them and then they too disappeared when they became too undriveable.

Mercedes may very go the same place SAAB went; If you don't support your older models and your newer models are too snobbish for an everyday mechanic to fix you will fade into oblivion. This is why so many Rolls Royce's end up as unwanted scrap. Try plugging a common OBD-II into a CLS when it starts screwing up. What a joke. They are forcing us to take them to the dealer and most dealers have no interest in fixing cars older than 10 years old. This pedestal that the car companies are putting themselves on by taking away diagnostics and spare parts on will make them all fail.

Hopefully the aftermarket will help us out. We must root out alternative solutions. Lack of a blower motor can make a car like a W123 undriveable. We must find a new blower motor alternative.

Consider it to be an 'open source' blower motor if we find a bolt on solution. -Think about what Volvo did with the blower retrofits back in the 90's when they sold an adapter kit. Think about the Sanden conversions of the BMW's.

Support open source automotive! Things such as Megasquirt and other alternatives will save your much loved Benz from the scrap pile.